City Collaborates with Locals to Build Vertical Drainage

The Jakarta Provincial Government is collaborating with all parties, including the community, to contribute in making vertical drainage in office buildings, public facilities and in in the neighborhood of residents' homes, in an effort to control floods in Jakarta.

The budget is ready. So, all parties will support in each other

Jakarta Industry and Energy Agency Acting Head Ricki M. Mulia disclosed, it is an effort to manage rainwater by being accommodated and absorbed into the ground naturally, thus can overcome flooding and can also be a water reserve during the dry season.

"If we make it rightly and collaborated with naturalization and other concepts, it will create conservation. Flooding can be minimized and there will be a recharge of water intake to the ground in a bid to prevent land subsidence. In 2020, absorption well will keep being intensified," he explained, as quoted by Jakarta PPID's press release, Tuesday (12/10).

Anies Invites Legislative-Executive to Strengthen Collaboration

He asserted drainage work will be intensified next year through continued collaboration with citizens in adding potential points.

"The budget is ready. So, all parties will support in each other. Which is why we need the role of citizens to realize our project in places where they could indeed build," he stressed.

In Jakarta, this project has many benefits for environmental sustainability, such as as an effort to conserve groundwater. With the drainage of rainwater into the ground, it will cause water recharge into the ground replacing groundwater that has been exploited by some citizens.

"It causes the amount of groundwater reserves to be fulfilled even in the dry season. It handles pluvial flood (due to local rain), instead of fluvial (due to overflowing waters). The existence of absorption wells can drain floods at the surface of the ground leading into the ground," he expressed.

It can also prevent land subsidence in Jakarta. The groundwater exploitation in the aquifer layer (rock layer below the surface of the ground that contains water and can be permeated by water), can cause shrinkage of the ground layer resulting a decrease in land subsidence.

"We have tried in several locations that can reduce inundation quickly. But when it rains, there must be consideration, the number must be increased. To recede water quickly, like in Pondok Labu and other areas, it takes hours. But after the drainage is installed, we can solve it," he explained.

Its construction has a legal protection, Law number 17/2019 on Water Resources (background: to face an imbalance between the availability of water which tends to decrease and the increasing water demand, water resources need to be managed), Gubernatorial Regulation number 20/2013 on Absorption Well (background: to utilize rainwater, reduce runoff and preserve groundwater is by making absorption wells) and Gubernatorial Decree number 31/2018 on the acceleration of the development of vertical drainage on city's lands.

"It is an artificial infiltration system that can accommodate and absorb water into the ground from rainwater or water used for ablution, water condenser or other wastewater that has been processed in accordance with the standard of water that is required by statutory regulations, namely Gubernatorial Regulation number 20/2013. It can take the form of wells, ponds, channels or absorption areas," he uttered.

Jakarta Water Resources Agency's Maintenance Division Head Djoko Rianto added it is effective to overcome flooding. This year, it is targeted to build 1,000 drainages. Up to the second week of this month, we already have 990 spots so it leaves 10 more.

"According to our experience, rainwater must be absorbed into the ground. When we normalize channel, it is just moving water to another. By so, we are able to minimize inundation optimally, moreover we also have made a retention pool. Surely it is very helpful," he explained.

Hidrogeolog Expert Fatchy Muhammad uttered floods occur, as mostly rainwater is dumped into the sea, not absorbed back into the ground.

"This condition has happened since the Dutch era. We can solve it by making drainage in each house where do not dispose rainwater which aims to prevent floods. In Cipete for instance, most people already use it and managed to reduce flooding. Surely it needs collaboration with locals," he stressed.